Main menu

Woebcken will fill the role of VW U.S. CEO and also the head of the newly created North America Region within VW. Photo by VW

Hinrich J. Woebcken takes over VW U.S. top spot as diesel deadline looms

Difficult road ahead for new CEO as scandal continues to take a toll

April 18, 2016

Share

Facebook

Tweet

Pinterest

Email

Volkswagen named Hinrich J. Woebcken the CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. Woebcken will be pulling double duty -- he recently became the head of the North America Region as well, a position created in the days following the outbreak of the diesel crisis in fall 2015. As head of the North America Region, he will occupy the spot above the CEOs of Canada and Mexico as well.

Volkswagen is in negotiations with U.S. regulators to establish two remediation funds as compensation for diesel emissions cheating, Bloomberg reports.One fund will be aimed at promoting clean ...

"The establishment of the North American Region provides the U.S., Mexico and Canada more freedom and more responsibility than ever before," global VW brand chief Herbert Diess said in a statement issued after the town hall. "Strengthening the region also means strengthening leadership and I am confident that Hinrich J. Woebcken is the right man for the job."

One of the most pressing problems Woebcken now faces is that of reaching a settlement with U.S. authorities over the recall of 600,000 VW, Audi and Porsche diesels in the U.S., and overseeing a massive and likely complicated recall program that will continue to affect sales.

Update: Corrected to reflect statement by the EPA that VW and regulators must reach a deal, not a formal settlement by the court-ordered date.EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy indicated this week that ...

"With the new structure of the North American Region, we will be empowered to make the decisions to bring the vehicles that the consumers in the market are demanding," said Woebcken. "I look forward to leading the teams in the U.S., Mexico and Canada and make sure we deliver these markets the right products, with the right content at the right time."